Parents have raised �20,000 for their legal battle

They have also been assured they will not be liable for any of Pembrokeshire Council's bill should the authority win its case to shut Hermon School.

Campaigners have now urged the council to back down claiming it could be left with costs in excess of �100,000.

A judge had already given parents the go-ahead for a full judicial review.

It is really a very significant step in that we now have 50% co-funding towards our legal costs Cris Tomos

The council plans to close the schools at Hermon and Blaenffos and replace them with a new �1.5m building at Crymych.

The proposals have been approved by Welsh Education Minister Jane Davidson.

But parents at Hermon, which has 53 pupils, are the first in Wales to fight a school closure in the courts.

They have amassed a �20,000 fund for their legal battle.

The Legal Services Commission has now confirmed it will grant them match funding.

Spokesman for the Save Hermon School Campaign, Cris Tomos, described the news as a big boost.

"It is really a very significant step in that we now have 50% co-funding towards our legal costs which are continually mounting," he said.

"The parents, community & supporters have made a tremendous effort in raising �20,000 to date, but with the assistance of legal aid this will now allow us to fund �40,000 of legal costs."

Mr Tomos said fundraising activities would continue as the cost of taking the case to a full judicial review was estimated between �50,000 and �60,000.

The full judicial review hearing is set to take place within the next few weeks.